[Haskell-cafe] Help from C libraries experts

[Don Stewart]

briqueabraque:
> Hi,
> 
> Do you understand very well a C library and would like Haskell
> to have a binding for it?
> 
> I've been working on this package:
> 
> http://hackage.haskell.org/cgi-bin/hackage-scripts/package/bindings
> 
> My goal is to have a place where one can find reliable and
> comprehensive low-level bindings to foreign libraries, so that
> writing higher level bindings becomes an easier task.
> 
> If you are willing to help me with questions about your favorite
> C library, like compile options I should be carefull about or
> differences I may find between systems, I'll be glad to write
> a low level binding to it.

I think "bindings" is an unfortunate choice of name for this package, as
it doesn't tell us anything about what it contains.

Looking at the code, I see:

        * Bindings
                o Bindings.Sqlite3
                o Bindings.StandardC
                o Bindings.Utilities

Which would traditionally be placed under, say,

    Database.Sqlite3

and perhaps:

    Foreign.C.Standard

but they'd be in separate packages.

Can you explain the rationale behind putting them in one large package,
rather than separate packages? And is there a more explanatory name than
"bindings"?

-- Don